NAME: Arbalat Avraham 

LEHI ALIAS: Aharon

DATE OF BIRTH: 1911

DATE OF DEATH: August 8, 1960

Avraham was born in Warsaw Poland   1911 to Hayim Zvulun and Sarah,  Orthodox Jews who made a living in the textile trade. He studied at a Cheder then a Yeshiva. To avoid  recruitment to the Polish Army, his parents married him and arranged a store for the couple to own. But Avraham was   occupied with Zionist matters therefore unavailable for commerce: during this period many Polish Jews were awakening  to Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s call to end the Diasporan-Exile. The call penetrated  Avraham’s heart. He began activities in  ‘Hapo’el-Hamizrachi’ and secretly joined Beitar. After his father died, he obtained a ‘certificate’ from Hapo’el-Hamizrachi and immigrated with his mother and  young wife, who passed away several months later.  Avraham was among the first  Ghaffir guards  permitted to carry weapons, worked in illegal immigration, took part in the establishing of “Shuni”, worked in the orchards, in construction and in security. He joined  Beitar’s work force at Zikhron-Ya’acov, making the town his home. Avraham grew closer to Abba Achimeir’s circle and joined his ‘Brit- Habiryonim. Eventually, he joined Etzel; when it split he followed Yair to Lehi.

His intellectual abilities were harnessed  for the Intelligence Dept. He became ill with tuberculosis; despite needing hospitalisation, he continued work. But in the  small Zikhron community it was difficult to remain undercover for long. Thus, in 1942 British Police arrested  and imprisoned him at Mizra and Latrun. On November 1, 1943, with 19 Lehi members, he escaped Latrun through a tunnel dug during many months. Immediately following the re-organisation outside, he returned to active duty at Department Six. Highly knowledgeable about the different parties, organisation, personalities active in the Yeshuv, this knowledge enabled him in filtering  material, examining, classifying and evaluating it. After fourteen months’ activity, he was re-arrested and exiled by the British with the third  prisoner convoy to Sudan and Eritrea. His illness worsened badly – he was returned to Israel after a year and a half. After establishment of the State, Avraham worked in translations. He remarried with a theatre actress but they separated. During this time his illness grew worse  and he was often hospitalised. Avraham died on August 8, 1960.